Spicy Caribbee- anyone shopped here?

[Host Faith]

I found this store on Tripadvisor.com. My family and I love to cook, and we'll be in San Juan this August. Has anyone shopped here? I'm thinking it would be nice to purchase everything and ship it back home, since we're touring San Juan pre-cruise. Is there a post-office nearby, or will they ship the items for you from the store?

 

www spicycaribbee dot com

[Berk987]

YES !!!!!! I can't believe someone posted this store. I went in there and $75 later.....bought lots of presents from there for co-workers and friends.

several bottles of their pure vanilla for cooking and baking (YUMMY), some bags of teas (various blends) and many bars of their hand made soap. Was there Nov. 2008. Stumbled upon it while family was shopping at Polo, Coach etc. Nice store, nice staff. Don't know about shipping back home or cost. I just had it all in different bags to give out upon my return. I still have some of the vanilla which is stronger than the regular ones you buy at home. Try it if you like to bake. If I recall... $9 per bottle or something. Have fun shopping.

[Host Faith]

Yay! Thank you so much for responding. The store sounds wonderful, especially the vanilla which is one of my mom's favorites since she loves to bake. I love the spices I get in St. Martin too, I think I'll stock up in both places :D

[Host Faith]

I couldn't wait to find out about the shipping info (I'm very type-A, lol), so I gave them a call. Found out that they will ship items home for you, right from the store. :)

[Donray]

Try the banna katchup!!!

[Berk987]

Type A? you and I should travel and shop together - HA.

can you tell me where the store in in St. Martin? I'll be there this Dec on the Niew Amsterdam. Thanks.

[Host Faith]

Donray- will do! I saw it once in St. Lucia but never picked up a bottle. We'll give it a try this time.

 

Berk- it would be fun to travel with someone like me- it seems like everyone around me is the opposite, I guess that's why I'm around (that and they help me relax), haha!

 

The open-air market is on the French side of the island, in Marigot. There's a lady near the entrance for the parking lot (on the inside of the square) who has 2 long tables filled with spices, and some racks full of them too. I can't recall her name, but I didn't see anyone else there with the spices she had, so she shouldn't be hard to find.

[Kikkycat]

If you're going to Tortola, there's a Spicy Caribbee store there, not far from where the ships dock. I bought some passionfruit jelly there, then at the store in Old San Juan got a nutmeg grater (a larger one than what I got in Grenada) and a cookbook.

[paylady]

We purchased coffee at the Spicy Caribbee in OSJ and then regretted not checking out the same coffee prices in the Pueblo supermarket in the Plaza de Armas. We won't make that mistake again.

 

I would check the supermarket first for coffee and tea prices. I'm sure they don't have all the specialty spices that Spicy Caribbee has though.

[maygoddess]

Yes...was just in the shop 2 weeks ago pre-cruise on the Carnival Victory. First of all it is NOT the same shop as in Tortola. That is called Sunny Caribbee. The one in OSJ is Spice Caribbee. It has a similar feel and I did ask the gal if they are related and she said no. The Tortola shop we were at last year actually had more individual spices and sauces the the OSJ shop. That shop really did not have alot of spices..mostly different type of hot sauces. I think I saw vanilla as well and then some rum balls and cookies and little knick knacks and such. I left with over 8 bottles of various hot sauces. I just took them on the ship and packed them in my suit case. I love the caribbean hot sauces and I think I grabbed a few bottles on each island and came home with over 15 bottles of various stuff! Enough until next year when I cruise again next year!

 

Anyway..the shop is worth a stop if you are in OSJ...you can sample all the hot sauces if you like those.

[Host Faith]

Thank you for the advice, everyone! Our cruise doesn't stop in Tortola, so we'll have to stock up here and in St. Martin.

[lovemylab]

We purchased coffee at the Spicy Caribbee in OSJ and then regretted not checking out the same coffee prices in the Pueblo supermarket in the Plaza de Armas. We won't make that mistake again.

 

I would check the supermarket first for coffee and tea prices. I'm sure they don't have all the specialty spices that Spicy Caribbee has though.

 

I second the above suggestion of checking supermarkets first. We found the coffee prices at drugstores and supermarkets to be considerably cheaper than Spicy Caribbee. We bought some Alto Grande whole beans at the drugstore for $8 - the same thing at Spicy Caribbee was $15. We also paid around $3 for a 1/2 pd bag of ground Yaucono coffee.

 

We were there last November and while they had a great selection of hot sauces, I found their selection of spices to be lacking. The store is beautiful though and definitely worth a visit.

 

One of the best spice stores I have visited was on St. John. It's called St. John Spice and has a great selection of spices, sauces,coffee and tea. So for anyone that is visiting St. Thomas on their cruise and has plans of going to St. John for the day this is another one worth checking out.